1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card containing a component and to a micromodule adapted to a card of this type. The invention finds an application in the fields of production and utilization of electronic control cards or electronic cash cards.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, electronic payment or control cards already exist in a credit-card format. In known designs, electronic components of the memory-microcomputer type are mounted in cards of this type and serve to relieve terminals of part of the "intelligent" work. In the different professional fields, a distinction is made between manufacture of the card itself and manufacture of the component itself or association of both components considered together. The micromodule which contains a component integrated in a card is usually produced by an integrated circuit manufacturer. The production methods employed are derived directly from production lines for the manufacture of integrated semiconductor circuit packages.
The present invention proposes a novel micro-module and a novel card which is specially intended to permit the use of conventional integrated-circuit production lines for the manufacture of cards of this type. The invention offers a further advantage in that the integrated semiconductor circuit can readily be changed on the card. It is thus possible to recycle the cards at the end of a period of use.